The deputy chairperson of South Africa’s Patriotic Alliance (PA), Kenny Kunene has appeared in a Johannesburg high court on Monday, where he is expected to account for calling EFF leader Julius Malema a cockroach.
Kunene made the comments during a TV interview in November, when he called Malema “a little frog” and “an irritating cockroach”.
Malema responded with a lawsuit against him. He wants Kunene to pay up R1m for the slur.
The matter will be heard by the equality court.
Malema had demanded an apology from Kunene, but he refused to offer one, saying he stood by his words.
“Malema behaves like a schoolboy who bullies other kids, but when they slap him, he is the first one to run to the schoolmaster to complain he was being bullied,” said Kunene.
He said the EFF leader had also insulted him and PA chairperson Gayton McKenzie, labelling them bandits and criminals. The two are ex-convicts.
Kunene took to Twitter to share pictures of a group of PA members who had filled the court gallery.
